Judge, 1915-02-27 · page 5 of 24
Judge — February 27, 1915 — page 5: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a serialized story rather than political satire. The narrative depicts domestic life centered on Pa Dambly's financial struggles and dietary restrictions due to dental problems. The top illustration shows an automobile arriving at a house where family members greet visitors—likely depicting the story's social setting. The story's humor derives from working-class domestic comedy: Pa's inability to afford new teeth, Ma's frustrations managing household expenses, and the family's modest circumstances requiring creative solutions for meals. The small illustration titled "Horatius Holds the Bridge" appears unrelated, possibly advertising another feature. This represents typical Judge magazine content mixing satirical fiction with domestic humor targeting middle-class American readers concerned with everyday financial and family concerns.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
wR “Wait a minute, pop! ‘ ELL, pa, I guess I'll step over to Mame Morrison's a little while,"” observed Mrs. Dambly, tying a purple scarf over her fuzzy gray hair. **Prob'ly I'll be home to sup- per, but if Mame should urge San me, I might stay. The mush <=Ne ison the back of the stove, | | same as usual, and there's 1 coffee to warm, right in the Pa Dambly nodded, well schooled in resignation. When the door had closed behind his wife's cushiony form, he lighted a soothing pipe and cast a malevolent glance at the double boiler. “My, how I'm growin’ to despise mush !"* he soliloquized sadly. ‘‘It ain't rightly a man's food, seems like."’ Then, with a prolonged sigh, “‘If I could only get me some teeth!"" For this was the keynote of the situation. Pa had lost his last lone grinder three years before, and as the family finances never attained to a surplus, he had learned to “gum it'' as best he might. Despite his age and his disabilities, he picked up a good many odd jobs about town, and son Jim, on the railroad up-State, sent regularly CALLED BACK By CORINNE ROCK: N swe what he could spare from his little pay; so the rent and the grocer’s bill were satis- factorily met, but pa’s new teeth remained an uncertain glory, though the spread-eagle sign of the Painless Dentist offered complete equipment at temptingly low rates. Mrs. Dambly had mourned sincerely over his limitations at first; but as it gradually dawned upon her that pa’s restricted diet meant more time for the visiting and gos- sip dear to her soul, her point of view un- derwent a subtle change. In his mild way pa had always been an exacting person to feed; he must have his meat and potatoes fried just so, and it was no simple matter to satisfy his demands in regard to pie. Somehow, the things he liked best were the kind which required the most time and ef- fort. Ma wasn't fond of cooking, anyhow, though she reflected with philosophy that when you got married, it was all in the day’s work. As for her own tastes, she was one of those easy-going souls who content- Me an’ Rover want to go with you!” edly do without things rather than take any trouble, and who tend to rapid backsliding when pressure is removed. Ma in harness had been the most docile of roadsters; freed from restraint, she waxed fat and kicked. Her conscience quieted by the ample boiler on the back of the stove, she was charmed by the social vistas newly opened to her. When pa grumbled now and then, she even ost Te HORATIUS HOLDS THE BRIDGE comicbooks.com